Pianissimo device.



PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

J. 0. HAGEY. PIANISSIMO DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED une, 1908.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' JAMES CLARKE HAGEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CABLE COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PIANISSIMO DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed January 6, 1908. Serial No. 409,486.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES CLARKE HAeEY, I

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State'of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Pianissimo Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to hammer rest-rails of pianos or similar instruments and has as an object to provide a simple device which will automatically modify the increasing resistance usually evident in the movement of the rail to carry the piano-hammers toward the strings.

Another object of my invention is to rovide for easy adjustment of the indivi ual supports of the rest-rail without interference with or disarrangement of any other part of the piano-action. I

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hammer-rail that has been dividedto permit individual adjustment of the treble and bass sections illustrating the use of my improved hinges; Fig. 2 is 'an en larged view in broken end elevation of a part of one of the piano-action brackets, showing in detail the construction and arrangement of my device with the rail in position to allow full travel of the hammers,'and; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the shifted position of the different arts when the rail has been swung upward y and inwardly to limit the travel of the hammers.

The arrangement and purpose of a piano hammer-rail is so well known that a very brief description thereof will be suflicient. It is placed transversely to the piano-ham- .mers to limit their distance from the strings and is usually pivotally supported upon the piano-action brackets so that movement of the rail may vary the travel of the hammers and thus modify or increase the power of tone.

In pianos adapted to be played automatically it is customary to operate the expression-controlling devices either by the automatic means or manually, and in either case it is preferable that the resistance should be uniform at different points in the movement of the rail.

1 designates the usual piano-action brackets for supporting the different rails and other parts of a piano-action in position in front of the strings (not shown), 2 one of the hammers pivotedat 5 and resting normally (Fig; 2) at a carefully regulated distance from the strings upon the buffer-felt 6 of the rail 3. The hammer 2 is actuated by the fly or jack 8 in opposition to the spring 9 which servesto immediately return the ham mer to the rail. The spring 9 is supported by the spring-rail 10 which in turn is rigidly secured to the brackets 1.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the hammer 2 in shifted position caused by the movement of the rail 3 for the purpose of modifying the blow to be delivered upon the string. The actuation of the hammer is still the same although materially limited in distance of travel. Thus far I have described ordinary piano parts and operations but I shall now proceed to point out the advantages, construction and application of my invention.

In the movement of the hammer from the position in-Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, the rail-spring 9 is compressed, and while each spring alone is too delicate to evince any marked gathering of strength in this slight movement, the-increase of resistance may be easily noted when the movement of a number of the hammers is attempted by motionof the rail or a part thereof (Fig. 1). I have invented a simple device to counter-balance this feature of increased resistance in the motion of the rail.

I provide arms 7 which are secured to one of the faces of the rail 3 and pivoted at their opposite ends as at 4.

11 indicates a stud fixed upon some of the arms 7 to permit attachment of the ends of cylinder-springs 13. The other ends of the springs may be secured as at 12 to any sub stantially fixed member.. I have shown plates 14 serving as such members and supporting the pivoted ends of the arms 7 as well as the spring-attaching points 12, but

these plates serve a particular purpose hereinafter described and their use is not neces sary in so far as perfect operation of this part of my invention is concerned. The arms 7 ma be pivoted directly in the brackets 1 as has been the usual custom and the spring-attaching points 12 may be upon any conveniently located substantially fixed part. The points 11 and 12 are so positioned with relation to the pivotal point 4 that during the normal position of the rail 3 (Fig. 2) the spring 13 is expanded between the points 11 and 12 in a line passing near the pivotal point 4. The points 11, 4 and 12 constitute the pivots of a toggle-joint, the latter two of which are relatively fixed while the point 11 is movable upon pivot 4.

The operation is as follows: As the rail 3 is raised it rocks upon the pivot-points 4, the hammers 2 are swung inwardly the distance desired toward the strings and the railsprings 9 are thereby compressed, continued movement of the rail increasing the compression. This increased compression is counter-balanced by the toppling movement of the point 11, as in the first part of the arc described thereby this point moves in a direction nearly transverse to the pull exerted by the spring 13, but as the said point is projected further from its approximate alinement with the pivot point 4 and the fixed end of the spring greater leverage is offered to the said spring and the power exerted upon the rail is thereby gradually and automatically increased to counteract the aforesaid increasing resistance of the railsprings 9.

I also provide a device to allow simple adjustment of the rail toward the strings for the purpose of regulation of the throw of the hammers. This adjustment is well known to be an important item in piano-action regulation and has not to my knowledge been provided for in the usual piano con struction.

In many instances the arms corresponding in purpose to the arms 7 are constructed of wires threaded at one end and screwed into the rail 3 while the other ends of the Wires are bent at a right angle and inserted in holes drilled and bushed in the brackets 1. In such a construction the only adjustment that can be accomplished necessitates bending of the wires or screwing them into or out of the rail. So far, this has proven a very troublesome and unsatisfactory method of adjustment especially in cases such as I have shown in Fig. 1 where the rail has been divided.

Where careful adjustment is desired, I

have provided a simple device by adjustment of which all of the pivotal points hereinbefore mentioned as connected with the hammer-rail may be shifted without disturbance of their relative positions.

Instead of pivoting the arm 7 directly in the bracket 1, I arrange a plate 1 1 which may be adjustably secured in a desired position upon the bracket and support the pivotal point 4 of the arm 7. This plate may be attached in a variety of methods but I prefer in this instance the use of a slot and screw as shown in the drawings. While it may be advisable in some instances to attach the plate in question to the side of the bracketshaped projection of the bracket 1, I believe that in the majority of piano-action brackets the upper surface of the bracket is better. Upon releasing the screws 15, adjustment is permitted of the plate 14 together with the attached arm 7 and rail 3 in the direction of the slots through which the screws 15 pass.

In Fig. 1 I have shown that it is not necessary to supply each hammer-rail hinge with a counter-balancing spring; one spring may serve for the rail or each section thereof. In the case of the combined use of the counterbalancing and adjustable features, it is necessary to have the plate carry both the pivot 4 and the spring-attaching point 12, thus insuring the adjustment of all of the parts without changing their relationship. I prefer to construct these parts of substantial metal which may be stamped out as shown in the drawings, for the purpose of correctly locating in each part the pivotal points and obtaining a strong, light and comparatively cheap construction.

I believe I am the first to provide the devices which I have shown and realize that various changes may be made in the exact construction thereof by those skilled in the art without departure from the principles and operation of my invention.

I therefore claim broadly, as follows:

1. In an instrument of the class described, in combination with reciprocably-movable hammers, means acting upon said hammers to offer gradually increasing resistance to the movement thereof in one direction, and an adjustable hammer-rail for moving a series of said hammers in said direction and limiting their movement in the reverse direction,.

means applied to the said rail to afford automatically-increasing assistance in the motion thereof to move said hammers in said one direction.

2. In an instrument of the class described, the combination of a rail and pivoted arms attached to said rail to afford rocking movement thereof, said arms being provided with means attached thereto and combining therewith to afford increasing assistance to the movement of said rail in one direction.

3. In an instrument of the class described, in combination with the action bracket (1), reciprocably-movable hammer-rail (3), and arm (7) pivotally supported by said bracket and fixed to said rail, means connected with said bracket and acting upon said arm to assist the movement of said hammer-rail in one direction.

in combination with the action-bracket (1), movable hammer-rail (3), rail-attached arm (7), and spring (13) acting upon said arm, a device adjustably attached to said bracket for supporting one end of said arm and one end of said spring in fixed relative positions.

7. In an instrument of the class described, in combination With a fixed member, a pivotally-supported arm, a rail attached to said arm and means to assist the pivotal movement of the arm and attached rail, a device adjustably attached to the fixed member providing pivotal support for said arm and sustaining the said means for assistance of the said pivotal movement.

8. In an instrument of the class described, the combination of a fixed member (1'), movsupport and attached to said hammer-rail,

able hammer-rail (3), adjustable support (14) pivoted arm (7), and means (13) for assisting the movement of the hammer-rail in one di- '1 rection, said support being adjustably fixed upon said fixed member to sustain said pivoted arm and said means, said pivoted arm being pivotally supported by said adjustable and said means being attached to said arm and to said support.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this thirtyfirst day of December, 1907, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

JAMES CLARKE HAGEY. Witnesses;

H. W. JARROW, C. E. JACKSON. 

